The World of Aviation

International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) has signed a firm order for 100 Airbus A320neo variants, which will comprise both A320neo and A321neo variants.   The firm order follows the signing of an MoU for the deal on March 8, with ILFC selecting Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1100G engine for at least 60 of its aircraft.

The second Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental successfully made its first flight on April 26. Aircraft RC021, registered N6067U, took off at 0926 hours local time from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, undertaking a three hour and 23 minute flight, during which it reached an altitude of 28,000ft and an airspeed of 275kt. “This is another great milestone for

Boeing has announced that its ‘Vigilare’ network centric command and control system has completed its last formal operational test at RAAF Williamtown’s Eastern Region Operations Centre (EROC), taking part in Exercise Aces South. The testing, which was performed between March 28 and April 8, confirmed that EROC was ready for operations using the Vigilare system,

Airlines will soon be able to offer direct flights between Australia and Saudi Arabia and Oman following the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on April 21. Transport Minister Anthony Albanese noted both the Omani and Saudi MoUs will permit their national carriers to “operate up to four direct flights a week into and

Boeing 787 launch customer All Nippon Airways (ANA) has become the first airline to begin pilot training on the aircraft, with 10 pilots undertaking classroom instruction in Tokyo during early Apri, followed by simulator training at Boeing Flight Services (BFS)’s campus in Seattle, Washington, from April 23. “The start of customer training is an exciting milestone

Qantas Freight is reportedly considering a plan to lease a small number of Boeing 747-8F or 777F freighters, in an agreement likely to be announced in coming months, according to Air Transport Intelligence (ATI). Qantas Freight currently wet-leases three 747-400F freighters from Atlas Air, with a Qantas spokesman telling ATI that the airline is “always